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How is owner-occupied property subsidised under section 10f of the Income Tax Act?

With § 10f Income Tax Act (EStG), the government promotes investments in the preservation and modernisation of owner-occupied properties with special urban or historical significance. The expenses incurred can be deducted as special expenses for tax purposes, provided all conditions are met.

The funding is particularly attractive for owners investing in redevelopment or development areas, preserving listed buildings, or renovating properties of special public interest.

What is tax-supported under § 10f EStG?

The following measures are tax-favoured:

  • Urban redevelopment and development measures in formally designated areas according to § 177 BauGB,
  • Preservation and modernisation measures on buildings of special historical, artistic, or urban significance,
  • Construction measures on listed buildings, provided an official certificate confirms their eligibility for funding.

The measures must serve the long-term preservation or functional improvement of the property. Purely cosmetic measures or unauthorised alterations are not eligible.

What conditions must be met?

To receive the tax benefit under § 10f EStG, the following conditions must be met:

  • Own financing: You have borne the costs yourself.
  • Official certificate: A certificate from the relevant municipality or monument authority confirms the type and scope of the eligible measures.
  • Self-use: The property is self-used or provided free of charge (e.g. to family members).
When and how can you claim the benefit?

The expenses may only be considered in your income tax return after the completion of the construction measures. Enter the eligible amounts in Form FW. As a rule, the expenses are deducted for tax purposes over ten years.

If you are claiming costs for the first time, please include an itemised list of all invoices with details of:

  • Invoice date and amount,
  • Description of services,
  • Contracting company.
What applies in the case of co-ownership?

If the building is in co-ownership (e.g. with siblings or other persons), you may only claim your own share of the expenses.

Spouses or registered civil partners who are not permanently separated can claim the funding for one property each – i.e. for a total of two properties.

Important restrictions (object restriction)

The tax benefit under § 10f EStG is subject to strict object and lifetime restrictions:

  • Only one property: The funding can only be used once in a lifetime for a single building.
  • No repetition: If the benefit has already been claimed for one property, it cannot be used again for another building.
  • Exclusion with other benefits: If increased depreciation under §§ 82g or 82i EStDV has already been claimed for the same building, § 10f EStG is excluded.
Practical example: BFH ruling of 24.05.2023 (X R 22/20)

A taxpayer claimed maintenance measures on his home from 2006 to 2013 and used the tax benefit under § 10f EStG. In 2014 and 2015, he wanted to apply for funding again for another listed flat. The tax office refused – the Federal Fiscal Court confirmed:

  • The tax benefit applies only to one property and once in a lifetime.
  • Unused years within the benefit period may expire.
  • A change to another building is excluded.
Note

Grants from public funds (e.g. urban development programmes) reduce the eligible expenses and must be stated separately in the tax return.

How is owner-occupied property subsidised under section 10f of the Income Tax Act?

Field help

Postcode

The tax allowance according to § 10f EStG can be claimed for properties that are considered monuments or are located in rehabilitation areas and urban development areas.


You can benefit from the tax allowance according to § 10f EStG if the property is owner-occupied for your own residential purposes or is transferred to other persons free of charge.


If you are claiming acquisition or production costs for the first time, please submit an itemized statement indicating not only the invoice amount paid but also the invoice date, the subject of the service and the company performing the service.

Was the property sold in 2025?

Indicate here whether the object was sold in 2025.

Date of purchase

Enter here the date of acquisition.

The date of acquisition is the date on which the legal possession, benefits and burdens were transferred to you. The date of acquisition is therefore the date on which the object was transferred to you and you were able to use it. The acquisition date is therefore not necessarily the same as the date of payment.

Date of the building application

Enter here the date of the application for building permission.

The date of the building application is the date when the authority receives the application.

Completion date

Enter here the date of completion.

The date of completion shall be the date on which the property is ready to be used.

Was the property used for own residential purposes?

In order to receive tax relief, it is usually an essential prerequisite that the property is used for one's own residential purposes or is let free of charge to close relatives. Enter here the date of occupation.

Construction start date

Indicate here construction start date.

Acquisition / production of the building

Select whether the object was built (self-built) or purchased.

Owner-occupied living space

Enter here the owner-occupied living area that is allocated to owner-occupied living space.

Some rooms within the owner-occupied rooms may be rented out or used for business purposes.

Other living and usable areas

Enter here the size of the other living and usable areas.

Deduction according to sect. 10f Income Tax Act (EStG)

Total of the entered deductions according to sect. 10f Income Tax Act (EStG)

Total usable area of the object

Total usable area of the property

Date of the purchase contract

Enter here the date of the purchase contract.

Address(es) of other objects

Here you can enter the address of other objects for which you have requested a subsidy.

Deduction according to sect. 10e Income Tax Act (EStG)

Tax relief according to sect. 10e of the Income Tax Act (EStG) is not granted. This can only be applied for in the Form FW if the purchase contract or building application was submitted before 01.01.1996.

Was the tax relief in accordance with sect. 10f of the Income Tax Act (EStG) determined separately and uniformly?

Select "yes" if your tax relief under section 10f of the Income Tax Act was determined as part of a separate and joint assessment – for example, if you benefit from the relief together with others (e.g. as a co-partner in a partnership or joint ownership).

In a joint assessment, the basis for the tax relief is determined jointly for all parties involved, e.g. the amount of deductible expenses or the eligible investment.

The separate assessment concerns the individual allocation of these benefits to the parties involved – for example, according to their shareholding percentage.

Background: This procedure ensures that the tax relief under section 10f of the Income Tax Act is fairly, correctly, and legally distributed among all parties involved. It is particularly required for joint ownership or investments.

Is it an expansion / extension of an owner-occupied flat?

Select "yes" if the expenses claimed are for an extension, expansion or annex to an already self-used property.

Eligible under § 10f EStG are, in addition to new buildings and purchase costs, certain measures that structurally increase the existing living space or create additional living space. The condition is that the newly created areas are permanently used for own residential purposes (e.g. conversion of the attic, addition of another living room or construction of an additional bathroom).

Note: Pure renovation, modernisation or maintenance measures are not eligible. The measure must lead to a structural expansion of the living space.

Is the deduction claimed for a subsequent property?

Select "yes" if you have previously claimed a deduction under § 10f EStG for another property and now wish to claim the tax deduction again for an additional (subsequent) property.

A subsequent property is one that you purchase, build, or extend after the end of the eight-year period or if the use of a subsidised property ends prematurely, and you wish to claim the deduction for it.

Note: The deduction can be used, but always only for one property at a time. The conditions for the new property must be met (e.g. permanent own use, no use for third-party residential purposes).

Street and house number

In order to claim the tax relief under sect. 10f of the Income Tax Act (EStG), the following requirements must be met:

  • The property must be used by the owner or let free of charge.
  • The building must be located in a redevelopment or development area or be a historical monument.
  • There must be a certificate from the responsible authority that the property is a historical building or is located in a redevelopment area.
  • No application for owner-occupied housing allowance (Eigenheimzulage) has been submitted in the past.
Has an application for a homeowner's allowance already been made for the property?

If an application for a homeowner's allowance (Eigenheimzulage) has already been submitted for the property in the past, the tax allowance cannot be claimed.

Have deductions or increased deductions already been claimed for other properties?

You can only claim the deduction amount according to sect. 10e of the Income Tax Act (EStG) for one flat (object restriction).

The subsidised expansion or enlargement of a dwelling is also considered to be one object.

Owner

Please indicate if the property belongs only to you or if there are other owners.

If you are not the only owner of the building used by you for your own residential purposes (benefited property), the maximum amount of the tax reduction for the entire benefited property can only be claimed once in total.

Enter the percentage share of the co-ownership share allocated to you. This information must also be provided if the building is jointly owned by spouses / civil partners and the distribution is 50:50.

Share Partner A

Enter the percentage share of the co-ownership shares attributable to you. This information must also be provided if the building is jointly owned by spouses/partners and the distribution is 50:50.

Number of flats

Please enter the number of flats.

... of which owner-occupied

Please enter the number of the owner-occupied flats.